Rhapsody en Route

My friends call me a prayer warrior.  This may stem from my thinking of prayer as a way of life.  I do pray in my quiet time, and I also pray for needs of people when a situation makes my soul cry.  Often times, I pray while watching the news as different stories touch the raw places of my heart. I remember times when I’ve prayed in stores, while walking on my power walks, or while lap swimming.

So how did this praying way of life begin?  I remember teaching a Sunday school lesson to third graders about fifteen years ago.  The lesson highlighted the verse, “Pray without ceasing,” I Thess 5:17.   I found the verse captivating and life-changing.  The lesson plan suggested wearing a wrist band as a reminder.  Although it seemed corny back before the rubber wrist bands became popular, I decided to try it.

Wearing the wrist band changed my life.  I learned to pray arrow prayers all day.  In addition to my regular Bible study and prayer time, I began the lifelong voyage of praying as a way of life.  I prayed for parking spots at Costco, my friends, my relatives, finances, missionaries, for people to develop an addiction to God’s word, and for my health.  I prayed for needs of others that came up, and for the Lord to cleanse my heart.  The simplest way to say it is that I prayed for anything that came across my mind.

A few years later, I went to graduate school to get a better understanding of the Bible.  Later, I prayed to get into the counseling field because people have always trusted me with their problems.

To work my way through grad school, I cleaned houses.  While cleaning, I prayed according to the tasks I completed.  When I cleaned toilets, I asked the Lord to cleanse my heart.  I also asked him to cleanse us for our sins as a nation.  While vacuuming and noticing dirt and other debris, I asked God to reveal the parts of my life that needed change.  I also thanked the Lord for his grace, mercy, and for specific answers to prayer.  I sang worship songs.  I thanked God for his love, and I breathed out prayer.

Nowadays the Lord has blessed me with my own cleaning person and a private counseling practice.  I still pray as a way of life, and I am eternally grateful for how the Lord opened this window of prayer as a lifestyle.